Ruth Weathers Giampietro

Our mother, Ruth Giampietro, or “Baby Ruth” as she was known endearingly to her family and friends, closed her beautiful, twinkling blue eyes and passed into the loving arms of Jesus, her Lord and Savior, on Friday, the 30th of June 2023. She is now singing in harmony with a host of angels.

Baby Ruth was the fourth child born to Ruth and Clyde Raymond Weathers on the 5th of July 1928, in the family home on their farm in Wake County, just outside of Wendell, North Carolina.

In 1945, she attended Meredith College, aka “The Angel Farm,” in Raleigh, North Carolina, earning an associate degree in business. While attending Meredith, she met Donald Rahmes, an engineering student at North Carolina State University. They married in 1949 and in their 13-year marriage, they had a son, Donald, and a daughter, Mary. When their marriage ended, Mom returned to North Carolina to be near her mother and family. After six years as a single mom, she was re-introduced to Frank Giampietro, with whom she had been acquainted in previous years when they attended the same church. Following a six-month courtship, they married in 1968 and moved their blended family including Frank's daughter, Sheila, to Dover, Delaware. Blending families was easy for Mom as bringing everyone together was integral to her life and to her character. One of their many blessed events was the birth of ‘Baby’ Frank in 1969, so now they were a family of six.

Their marriage was one full of love, and at the center of their marriage was always Jesus Christ. They received their spiritual nourishment from worshiping God in church, which provided them an extended family whom they loved. They were active members of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Camden and then of Christ Church, Dover. They enjoyed life to the fullest, traveling the world, spending time with Frank’s extended Italian family in the Bronx, New York, and with Mom's large family in Knightdale, North Carolina.

When not traveling, they found fellowship with others through square dancing, ballroom dancing, and all that came with rearing four children. Mom also found time to direct the church choir, teach Sunday school, serve as treasurer for the local chapter of the AFS Intercultural Exchange program, and volunteer with the Junior Board Women at Kent General Hospital, the Girl Scouts, and the Boy Scouts. When she attended football or basketball games in which her sons played, you could hear her cheers throughout the stands, sometimes above all the others.

Throwing parties and inviting people to come over at the spur of the moment were second nature to Mom. Over the 40 years, Mom and Frank were married, they graciously opened their home not just to family and friends, but to five foster children over several years and to several exchange students from various countries. Staying connected with these families over the years brought Mom and Frank much joy and happiness.

In 2007, Mom and Frank moved to Houston, Texas to be near Mary and they quickly became rooted in life at The Hallmark. Just a year after their move to Houston, Frank passed away, and Mom became even more determined to make the next phase of life as full as possible. Mom embraced all that The Hallmark had to offer and of course, added her own touch to living life there as well. In 2009, she helped found the “801 Singers,” a group of residents who met to sing every Tuesday in her apartment #801. Along with many other legacies, she left a legacy in this group; directing and producing performances for other residents. She poured her heart into this group and invited every new resident to join them. The number of singers swelled quickly from a handful to over 20 people.

Many who knew Mom saw the countenance of Christ on her face. “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). In her last few weeks, as she said her good-byes to a steady parade of people who loved her, she reminded us that “love begets love,” a basic tenet that carried her through life.

Preceding her in death were her husband, Frank Giampietro; parents, Ruth and Clyde Weathers; sisters, Larue Weathers Stalvey and Eunice Weathers Pearce; brother, Ray Weathers; and step-granddaughter, Elizabeth Williams Dwyer. She is survived by her children, Don Rahmes and his wife Gwenn; Mary Williams and her husband Will; Frank Giampietro and his wife Cherie; stepdaughter, Sheila Carlisle and her husband Bob; and grandchildren, Daphne and Dominic Giampietro, Will Rahmes and his wife Mandi, and their son Isaac, and Katy Cheney and her husband Ryan, and their sons, Riley and Owen. She is also survived by step-grandchildren, Morgan Carlisle, Devon Carlisle, and Casey Williams Hedges; 10 step-great-grandchildren; and cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Our family would like to thank friends, family, and the staff at The Hallmark for their love and care.

The memorial service is to be conducted at two o’clock in the afternoon on Wednesday, the 12th of July, at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, 717 Sage Road, in Houston, where The Rev. Dr. Russell Levenson, Jr., is to officiate.

Immediately following, all are cordially invited to greet the family during a reception in the adjacent Bagby Parish Hall.

For those unable to attend the service, virtual attendance may be accessed by selecting the “Join Livestream” icon on the service section below.

In lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests with gratitude that memorial contributions in Ruth’s name be directed to The St. Martin’s Episcopal Church Endowment Fund, 717 Sage Road, Houston, TX 77056 (or simply click the icon below under “Donations”); or to the charity of one’s choice.

We also invite you to take a few moments to share fond memories and words of comfort and condolence with her family by selecting the “Add a Memory” icon.